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For almost 30 years, Street Fighter was the series that gave new life to the fighting game genre. Whether it’s the memorable characters, music or its tight gameplay, it brought us so much that fans still enjoy to this day. It’s previous entry Street Fighter IV provided so much, despite the game getting numerous updates and revisions. Last year, Capcom was ready to bring Street Fighter into the next gaming generation with Street Fighter V, released as a Sony exclusive for PS4 and PC. The question looms… does it deliver the same way SFIV had all those years ago or will this game crash and burn to the ground? Considering that it’s almost a year since the game’s release, I am going to be reviewing the game in its current state.

The Street Fighter series has never been known for it’ story. This game’s no exception. The story is split between “Character Story” and the Cinematic Story that was released in June as a free update. But to summarize, M. Bison of Shadaloo enacts his plan for world domination and he does so with the Black Moons. Now several groups are gathering to put a stop to Bison’s plans but many may be having plans of their own. The story is pretty predictable, your traditional “stop the bad guy before they take over the world” thing. Nothing fancy. Considering that this is set in-between Street Fighter IV and III, it does explain certain events that we would see in later games. The character story mode however consist of short segments that last 6-10 minutes but provide a bit of exposition for all the characters involved. They’re harmless fun but at least you get an idea of what the characters are and their motivations.

Street Fighter V doesn’t offer much in terms of content. Later updates did include modes like Challenges but when it was first released, the game provided little. It makes the game feel barebones. I find it disappointing. Many other fighting games like Mortal Kombat, Tekken and Smash Bros. offer a lot of content and variety at full price and the most important thing is having content for people that just want to pick up and play. To see that it doesn’t have that is upsetting and will only drive consumers away. I am aware that the game was released for the competitive crowd but unless there’s something for casuals, it’ll be a failure from the get go. There is online play but when it was first released, it had numerous server issues that hindered the experience. They did fix it eventually but overall, Street Fighter V is barebones on release and to this day, it still is. Capcom dropped the ball and they should have put a bit more time in refining the game to make it complete.

Despite the negatives, Street Fighter V is great in terms of graphics and gameplay. The game looks amazing, a step up from Street Fighter IV. From a design standpoint, it’s well done. The character models are better but for some reason, they seem a bit too muscular. All the stages are vibrant and colorful, backing it up with music. SFV’s high point also includes the music. The music is very good and some tracks are real addicting to listen to. Thankfully you have the option to switch between stage and character music so that’s a plus.

If you’ve played a previous Street Fighter game then you’ll feel right at home. The controls are the same but there are a few noticeable changes. For starters, everyone has a Critical Art, a V-Trigger and V-Reversal. They are the game’s main gimmicks. Each character has a specific V-Trigger and Reversal ability that sets them apart from the others. They depend on the character and can make matches pretty intense. I can say that Capcom did do a good job at making the controls easier for newcomers but can also be challenging for competitive players. Compared to Street Fighter IV’s battle system, this is a bit easier. Though I wish that the game could allow players to choose from a variety of V-Trigger/Reversal and Critical Arts. It can add more to the game and its characters.

I mentioned earlier that this game offers too few content but then they decide to include micro transactions. They can be obtained either by using real money or Fight Money, Street Fighter V’s currency and consists of alternate costumes, color palettes, stages and characters that would come as DLC. If that isn’t enough, Capcom has the gall to include a season pass… in a $60 full price game that offers barebones content. Just no. It’s unacceptable. If it were like Street Fighter IV then it would be okay but not here. I don’t accept it and even now that the place has been reduced to $30, it still isn’t enough. Had Capcom put more time and released it later down the line with more characters and modes, it would be better. But sadly it shot them in the foot and they paid the price for it.

Capcom may have dropped the ball big with Street Fighter V but it shouldn’t hinder anyone from taking the time to enjoy it. The presentation and gameplay are its high points but they can only last so long with its lack of content. Yes the game was released to please the competitive crowd and an audience is there for it but they did it at the expense of the casual crowd. Regardless, Street Fighter V is a well-designed game that anyone can enjoy… if only it could provide more for your money’s worth.

Had I reviewed this game when it was first released, my rating for it would be less than what it should deserve. For the time being, I give Street Fighter V a 6 out of 10.

To be honest, I didn’t think this blog would still be hanging. But hey, I’m okay with it because truthfully I want to keep at it. So for your viewing pleasure, I present the next four episodes of Gravity Rush Remastered. Hope you enjoy.

Apologies if it is updated late because I have real life stuff to take care of.